Vacation

As people make more money, often they think that now is the time to enjoy themselves more. Leisure becomes more important in their lives. As their psychological horizons expand beyond just earning an income, they also want to find out more about the world. So they want to find out more about the world. So they want to travel. One problem, however, is that they don’t really know where they want to go or what they want to do when they get there. So they blindly go somewhere, just because they think it is fashionable to do so. Often they take some package tour that offers them “10 countries in 7 days.” That way, they collect a lot of stamps in their passports and a lot of predictable photographs, but they don’t have much fun or relaxation, and they don’t really know very much about where they’ve been. A much better approach would be to decide where they really want to go, and why, and then plan far enough in advance in order to accomplish those goals. That way the vacation is both more enjoyable and more affordable.

COMPREHENSION

1. Why has travel become more popular?

2. What mistake do people sometimes make?

3. What should they do to make the most of their vacation?

EXPRESS YOURSELF

1. How much paid vacation do you get each year?

2. Where do you most want to go?

3. In the summer, which place do you prefer—the mountains or the sea?

4. What do you think about visiting the seaside in winter?

5. Which do you think is the best season for a vacation?

6. For your vacation trip, will you drive or use public transportation such as trains or buses?

1. It seems to me that most people I know only think about taking a vacation in the summer. But that’s a terrible season, since everyone else is rushing to all the same spots at the same time. So instead of a relaxing vacation, they spend their time stuck in traffic or on an overcrowded beach; service is stretched to the limit, and prices are inflated. So they go back home more tired than when they began, glad their time in hell is over and looking forward to going back to work! So I take my sabbatical in the winter. Even the seashore is very pleasant then, although it is too cold to swim or get a tan, because it is very quiet. I can calmly reflect on my life, take my time doing what I really enjoy, and charge my batteries back up. So when I return to my job I’m able to work more effectively.

2. The ideal vacation for me is to make a trip alone. I think vacations should be a chance to reflect on myself and think about what I am doing and what I should do with my life. Travelling alone makes this possible.